Ju-on 2 - La maledizione

I was disappointed by the original but this sequel was much, much better. Everything about it has been improved - the plot, the character development, the direction, the mood, the fear factor. The over all feeling of this film is very very creepy. It's exactly how a ghost story should be. It doesn't give you the kind of scares that make you jump out of your skin like some movies do but what it does give you is a very uneasy and haunting feeling.

The arrangement and fragmentation of script was excellent. It's broken up into separate stories or chapters like the first one but they've played with the time line in this one in a very wonderful way which contributes to the ghostly feeling of the film as a whole. The story with the banging on the wall was a particular favourite of mine, and, I think, pretty genius.

I am so glad I watched this! It has now become one of my favourite Japanese horror films.

The rage of Kayako and her son Toshio continue in this sequel to "Ju-On: The Grudge." Creepier and scarier than the first film, Ju-On 2 begins with a young couple and a tragic car accident which leaves a pregnant television star named Kyoko devastated. With her fiancé in a coma and her unborn baby supposedly lost, she continues with her blossoming career in horror films. But when she agrees to appear in a pseudo-documentary about the "haunted house" where Kayako and Toshio still "reside," the virus of the Grudge begins anew. Soon, everyone involved with the production is missing or dead, and Kyoko, who has recently been informed that her baby is not lost after all, begins to realize that what she is carrying may not be hers at all.

Ju-On 2 is definitely much more scarier than its predecessor. Disturbing sound effects, jerky camera movements and one dizzy nightmarish scene after another literally left me reeling, feeling as confused and freaked out as the characters in the film. There are some great visual effects here; Kayako and her wild hair spread over a ceiling, tendrils dropping down into lethal nooses; a wig come to hideous life and the ghostly blue Toshio staring out of the darkness. The ending was a work of morbid art, leaving me quite stunned. "Ju-On 2" has proved beyond a doubt that sequels are not always a bad thing, and sometimes, they're even better!

Highly recommended!

I'm happy to say that, after a slight disappointment with 'Ju On: The Grudge,' the series returns to form with this installment.

Just when you thought Takashi Shimizu had done everything there was to do with 'Ju On,' this third sequel (and second theatrical film) takes things in a slightly new direction...and gives us some of the most terrifying scenes yet.

Yes, Toshio and his Mum are still on the prowl. Yes, the plot is told in the same disjointed segment style. But, without spoiling the surprises, some new and unexpected twists are added to the mythology. And just as expected, there are plenty of images and sounds that will haunt you till your dying day.

I can't wait to see what Shimizu has in store with the fifth film (the American installment) and dread the thought of seeing these images on a big screen!

"Ju-on:The Grudge 2" is the sequel to the smash-hit "Ju-on:The Grudge", and is the fourth installment into the "Ju-on" series. Like it's precursor, it is told in chapters. All the chapters are somehow connected to the curse of the grudge.

Were you disappointed by "Ju-on:The Grudge"? Well, if you were (like me), you'll be surprised. This sequel was MUCH better than the original in almost every aspect. The scares were more scarier, there were more scares, tenser scenes, a LOT better acting, a much better story, and a more solid plot. I was really surprised by how good this sequel was. Ever heard of the old sequel rule? "Sequels are never as good as the originals"? Well, I' happy to say that that doesn't apply here.

So to sum it up, I really enjoyed this movie. It was a major improvement on the original film. If you're a fan of the Ju-on series, you have to watch this.

I always get kind of agitated when producers feel a need to make sequels. I have never seen one that actually mattered. This one didn't either.

Having said that I do feel a need to actually recommend this Ju-On part. Besides the obvious rerun of old tricks, some of the new material is actually quite interesting and well-thought of. For example the thuds on the wall (that the couple hears every night around 12.30)are later explained in an eerie way. The wig-on-the-floor-thing was nicely done.

Finally, I thought the birth was original as well as the ending of the movie.

All in all entertaining (for a "Part two" movie) but not a MUST SEE.